Siena Poll: Cuomo’s Poll Numbers Take A Hit

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s January bounce has evaporated, according to a Siena College poll released today.

The poll found Cuomo’s favorability rating stands at 53 percent to 40 percent, a double-digit tumble from 62 percent to 30 percent at the start of the year.

His job approval rating has also fallen back underwater to a negative 45 percent to 53 percent, down from 50 percent to 48 percent in January, the poll found.

Cuomo’s numbers are down virtually across the board, with Democrats, Republicans and independents. He’s also seen his number decline in New York City and upstate, but has remained largely unchanged in the downstate suburbs.

It’s not clear what the source of the decline is, but it does come as the corruption trial of his former close aide Joe Percoco is underway in New York City.

“Cuomo’s drop this month comes as there was little change in how voters viewed the Legislature, just a modest drop in voters’ optimism about the direction of the state and, largely, continued strong support for many of the Governor’s high-profile proposals,” Siena pollster Steve Greenberg said.

“Of course, much of what Cuomo has been talking about over the last several weeks has been overshadowed by the ongoing coverage of the Federal corruption trial in Manhattan, in which the Governor has been featured prominently.”

What has not taken a hit are Cuomo’s priorities in the legislative session. His call to make it easier for abuse victims to file lawsuits, institute a state version of the Dream Act for college tuition assistance, create an early voting system and ban public money from sexual harassment settlements all remain popular.

The same goes for other priorities, including bail reform and codifying the U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision in state law. One proposal that has taken a hit in popularity, however, is the governor’s push to sue the federal government over the December federal tax reform law, which garners 49 percent support, down from 58 percent in January.

Meanwhile, the two Republicans who remain in the race for GOP nomination for governor are largely unknown to voters: Deputy Senate Majority Leader John DeFrancisco, a Syracuse lawmaker, is viewed favorably by 10 percent of voters, and 81 percent said they have no opinion or don’t know enough about him.

Ex-Erie County Executive Joel Giambra, a former Democrat, has a 7 percent favorable rating, while 84 percent do not know enough about him or have no opinion.

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb bowed out of the race on Friday.

The poll of 823 registered voters was conducted from Feb. 5 to Feb. 8. It has a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points.